TU Dortmund students in intercultural exchange

Social art without borders

The crises of today's world increase the importance of intercultural youth work and also make it more challenging. The aim of the project "ViSAS-Virtual Social Art Stage" from the Erasmus+ program "Youth in Action" is therefore to support digital youth work. It is intended to promote hybrid formats and simplify the overcoming of distances. That this is possible is also shown by the second "Blended Mobility", where again 20 young people from Spain, Italy, France and Germany spent 10 days together in the artistic autumn camp. After the first camp in Spain in January already caused enthusiasm among all participants, the second camp, now in Turin, was also an opportunity for meeting, exchange – and last but not least common artistic creation – appreciated by all.

Certainly not an easy walk

On site in Turin, the participants were supervised by trainers from the organizations Patchanka and Projektfabrik. The focus of the joint work was on excerpts from Nietzsche's work "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" and the question: "What meaning does the text have in today's world?". This question was answered in artistic working groups in just 10 days performatively as a play in Italian.

Since the performance was accompanied by a meeting of the project partners and a multiplier event of the Italian partners, a transnational audience could be present when the young people delivered their peaceful "Message in a Bottle". Beforehand, there was a presentation of the project and the project platform, which could be tried out live during their presentation via the QR codes on display. The impressive performance on stage could be admired on 26.10.22 in the premises of Casa del Lavoro. The interpretations of Nietzsche's words were very creative and the scenes provided much amusement to the audience. The play ended with the dramatic sending out of the messages "in a bottle".

And then?

The day after the performance, there was still time for reflection talks in national groups and a shared final talk. The departure from Turin, after the joint stay, is certainly not an end to the collaborative activities either. After returning home, further activities and digital meetings on the platform are being planned. At the same time, the results of the scientific monitoring and evaluation of the activity will be prepared for a potential analysis of hybrid youth work.

More impressions of the time on site are in the picture gallery and on Instagram.

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